HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) and climate control systems are used to control the humidity, temperature, pressure and air quality within a building. HVAC systems may include a number of components, including air filters, blowers, de-humidifiers, and heating and cooling elements. Ductwork is used to transfer air from the various components within the HVAC system. Over the years, ductwork has been constructed using a variety of methods and materials. In many cases, ductwork is fabricated from single-walled sheet metal formed into conduits having rectangular or circular cross-sections. In other applications, flexible, insulated ductwork is used to deliver air from central heating and cooling components. Insulated ductwork increases the overall efficiency of the HVAC system by limiting heat transfer between the treated air and the surrounding environment.
While generally effective, prior art ductwork suffers several deficiencies. The thermal insulation provided by the ductwork is often insufficient. Additionally, ductwork that exhibits an elevated measure of thermal resistance tends to be unwieldy, oversized, difficult to install and expensive. It is to this, and other deficiencies in the prior art, that the present invention is directed.